TABLE TENNIS

WOODFORD Wells A team became league champions for the second successive season when they whitewashed relegation-threatened Heathcote C 10-0.

Dave Page, Martin Marcus and Paul Pells were all unbeaten by an opponent.

Their victory, with one week of the season remaining, was helped by their nearest rivals, Heathcote A, failing to get all ten points in their match against Woodford Wells C.

Heathcote were eight points behind the leaders going into the match and the pressure was on to win every game.

Wells C did their A team a big favour in the opening match when Ray Brown beat Heathcote's Mitch Herber in three straight sets.

The next two matches went Heathcote's way but in the fourth match, Herber had a chance to extend Heathcote's lead when he faced Tom Akigbogun.

The first set went to the Wells man but Herber not only won the second set, but also led 6-0 in the third set and although his opponent rallied, he held match point at 10-6.

Akigbogun then proceeded to win the next six points to take the set 12-10.

Undeterred, Herber began the fourth set as he had the third by going into a 6-0 lead.

Akigbogun won the next point and the next and suddenly he was only behind by one point at 7-8.

Herber seemed to panic, finally losing the fourth set 9-11 and the match three sets to one.

With Mike Rebbeck also winning a match, Wells C gained three points as they only lost 3-7, meaning that Heathcote A were still one point behind the leaders with the latter's result to come.

When Wells A won 10-0, it confirmed that their eleven-point lead was unassailable and they are worthy champions.